Clinical characteristics of middle-aged and older patients with MS treated with interferon beta-1b: post-hoc analysis of a 2-year, prospective, international, observational study

Table 4 Incidence of comorbidities in the total safety population (n = 492) and among patients taking at least one medication other than interferon beta1-b (n = 246)

Indication(s)^a	Aged 41–50 years		Aged > 50 years
Indication(s)^a	n (%) safety population (n = 334)	n (%) comorbid population(n = 161)	n (%) safety population(n = 158)	n (%) comorbid population(n = 85)
Arterial hypertension	23 (6.9 %)	23 (14.3 %)	19 (12.0 %)	19 (22.4 %)
Diabetes mellitus	5 (1.5 %)	5 (3.1 %)	3 (1.9 %)	3 (3.5 %)
Dyslipidaemia	7 (2.1 %)	7 (4.3 %)	12 (7.6 %)	12 (14.1 %)
Cardiovascular disorders, other^b	10 (3.0 %)	10 (6.2 %)	8 (5.1 %)	8 (9.4 %)
Infection^c	6 (1.8 %)	6 (3.7 %)	2 (1.3 %)	2 (2.4 %)
Malignancies	0 (0.0 %)	0 (0.0 %)	2 (1.3 %)	2 (2.4 %)
Autoimmune disease	13 (3.9 %)	13 (8.1 %)	5 (3.2 %)	5 (5.9 %)

^aAdditional medications taken by patients were recorded, and the comorbidity data presented here is derived from the indications for these co-medications.
^bThe category of ‘other cardiovascular disorders’ is derived from additional medications with the following indications: anti-aggregation, stroke prevention, thromboembolism, arrhythmia and vascular disease.
^cInfection for which patients received antibiotics excluding sexual transmitted disease.

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